Knitted fabric and method



May 26; 1942. v w. L. SMITH, JR A 2,384,454v

KNITTED FABRIC AND METHOD Filed sept. s, 1938 IPX/:12ML .YM/11.@

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Patented May 26, 1942 KNI'ITED FABRIC AND METHOD William L. Smith, Jr., Pawtucket, R. I., assignor to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. I., a corporation of Massachusetts Application September 8, 1938, Serial No. 228,977

(Cl. (i6- 134) 3 Claims.

This invention concerns a knitted fabric and method of producing the same. The fabric is knitted from one yarn of elastic characteristics such as the so-called Lastex and another yarn of the usual textile bers or filaments, the elastic yarn forming a base fabric while the second mentioned yarn covers the elastic by plating at one side and with pile loops at the opposite side.V

In the figures of the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a .detail of fabric according to one embodiment. of the invention, the same being somewhat extended and to a greatly enlarged scale;

Fig. 2 is a view showing the general appearance and construction of loops in the fabric of Fig. 1:

Fig. 3 is an end View of a few loops of the fabric of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail of the needle and sinker as a stitch is being drawn;

Fig. 5 is a section showing how the fabric is knitted on a conventional machine wherein only half the needles are used in conjunction with the entire complement of sinkers;

Fig. 6 is a similar section showing a modification in which special sinkers are to be used.

The fabric herein described and claimed may be knitted according to one specific embodiment of the invention by feeding an elastic yarn such as Lastex, or any other suitable elastic yarn either covered or uncovered, in such a way that the same will be knitted by widely spaced needles. The needles thus spaced wider than is the usual practice measure and draw loops of this elastic usually long sinker loop will be obtained. According to one method to be practiced a conventional machine may be used wherein alternate needles knit drawing loops over two intervening sinkers. The intervening needles may be removed from the machine, or at least, are to remain idle. Instead of drawing over the two intervening sinkers to obtain an unusually large sinker loop, special sinkers may be employed which will be of unusual width, practically as wide as the space spanned by the two sinkers previously referred to. The elastic is fed under a suitable knitting tension, but is not tensioned any more than necessary since it is desired to knit a fabric not too tight from a standpoint of the elasticity or constraint later to be evident when the fabric is used, nor from the point of tightness with respect t0 pervious characteristics. Naturally the elastic will contract to some extent after the fabric is cast from the needles and the natural contraction will take up what might appear to be an. excess of elastic yarn in the sinker loops until the resulting fabric is outwardly similar to ordinary knitted goods.

Along with this elastic yarn a so-called plain yarn of the usual textile bers or filaments is to be fed and will plate at one side of the elastic but will be drawn into pile loops at the other. These pile loops may be drawn overvnibs of sink-.- ers or any other satisfactory drawing edges for that express purpose. The pile may be of different lengths according to the purposes to which the fabric is to be put, and as will be described more fully, may appear throughout predetermined areas to constitute pattern work. Two or more lengths of pile may be knitted and a pattern may be based on this diiference in length of pile loops.

Now referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, an elastic yarn is indicated at I and the so-called plain yarn at `2. The elastic yarn is shown as though it had contracted and thus the loops which constitute the base fabric areV more or less normal in size, but it is to be understood that the size of these loops depends upon spacing between needles, length of loop drawn, tension on the elastic and other factors within the control vof the knitter. The pile loops 3 extend from the back of the fabric as is usual and the yarn 2 plates at the front of the fabric in plated loops indicated at ll. The result of this is that plating covers the rubber at the normal face of the fabric while the pile loops 3 at the opposite or back of the fabric cover the elastic at that side. The degree to which this so-called plain yarn will cover the elastic yarn depends upon the amount of contraction allowed in the elastic yarn and upon the relative sizeof the two yarns. The pile loops may be cut and/or brushed or teazed as yarn over sinkers or web holders so that an unf is common practice.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6 a needle 5 is shown in about the position it occupies after having drawn a stitch of rubber yarn indicated at 5 and a stitchy of plain yarn at l. The rubber yarn is shown as drawn in the throat 8 of a sinker 9 while the plain yarn is `xdrawn over a suitable edge of the nib i9 of the sinker. This sinker has a notch Il of lower elevation thanV that at the top of the nib over which loop 'l is shown as being drawn.

This notch ll is for the purpose of drawing shorter pile loops either throughout the entire fabric or in conjunction with long pile loops, this being described more fully in co-pending application Serial #194,909, March 9, 1938.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the loops 6 and 'l are shown being drawn, the elastic being under tension and therefore of smaller diameter in comparison to the diameter of the plain yarn than in Figs. 1-3 where the elastic has contracted and has reassumed its normal diameter.

In Fig. 6 a sinker l2 has been substituted for the two sinkers 9. This sinker I2 is wide enough to bring about the desired result and will be considerably more substantial than two thinner sinkers which tend to be drawn together by the Vloops would be drawn.

contraction of the elastic yarn. yThis thicker sinker l2 may or may not have all its'parts of equal thickness. The main point is that the throat over which the elastic is drawnv should be of about the thickness illustrated, but theV nib over which the pile loop is to be drawn might 1 be thinner if desired. The inner end of sinkers guided by the so-called sinker or stitch ring may be rolled or otherwise formed toY a thinner sec-l tion as the convergence of sinkers radially disposed may make it desirable to out narrower slots in this ring to avoid unusuallythin walls to the slots.

Suitable selecting means is to be provided for these sinkers so that either long or short pile loops may be drawn at will, or if desired, the plain yarn 2 may be. drawn along with the elastic yarn in the throat of the sinker so that there will be very little difference in length of loops drawn from the-two yarns. Of course, the elastic'will contractand thus the plain yarn loops will have an excess ofV material this being desirable in that better coverage will be obtained. v

throughout all active Yneedles in each course. Y

'I'hemachine might be a single feed machine or may have'as many feeds as desirable. Preferably a multi-feed machine would be used. It is contemplated to knit the elastic at spaced courses and to knit plain yarns in place of elastic along with a secondyarn from which pile The saidv intervening courses having plain yarn as a background may be knitted on alternate needles as the elastic is knitted, or may be knitted on a full complement L of needles While the elastic would be knitted on alternate needles only. vVaried effects will be obtained in this way depending upon the tension in the elastic and other'factors. Puckered or pebbled effects may be realized.

The fabric vmay be used with pile loops outermost in which event they serve as ornamentation, all-over-patterns or figured effects being obtainable according to the desires of the knitter. If

desired the fabric may be worn with the pile loops innermost in which event it serves to space the elastic yarn from the wearer so that a greater degree of comfort is provided. One example ofthe latter use is that of a stocking top in whichY .elastic knitted for purposes ofa garter may be spaced from the wearer by the pile loops. The pile loops would exert aicertain amount of friction and thus would aid in transmitting the effect of the garter without the usual harshness and discomfort experienced from wearing the elastic directly'adjacent the skin. i Tuck stitches may be knitted, either of elastic or of plain yarns knitted in courses between elastic yarn courses. These tuck stitches may form ornamental areas in conjunction with pile loop areas, or if pile loops are to be worn inwardly, tuck work may be the basis of ornamentation at the face of the fabric. Many modifications will readily present themselves; it is notthe purpose of this disclosure to attempt to set forth all possibilities, but merely to present the general principles which are to be followed in kniting a wide variety of fabric and patterns, the sameresults and advantages being forth- .coming in all instances. What is new is expressed in the following claims.

1. A method of knitting an elastic base, pile fabric 'including the steps of drawing an elastic yarn under tension and forming the same into courses of knitted loops comprising both needle and sinker loops, and measuring and drawing the sinker loopsofV such a length that they will contain substantially twice asmuch elastic yarn as adjacent needle loops, and simultaneously with the drawing of the elastic yarn loops, drawing a non-elastic yarn to plate the needle loops over the elastic yarn at the face of the fabric and to project to the back thereof as pile loops at sinker wales, whereby upon release of the fabric and contraction of the elastic yarn, the elastic base of the fabricwill not contract beyond a point at which it remains porous or open and said pile yarn will cover the elastic at the face of the fabric as a plating yarn but will project to the back as terry or pileloops.

2. A method of knitting an elastic base, pile fabric including the steps of drawing an elastic yarn under tension and forming the same into courses of knitted loops comprising both needle and sinker loops, and drawing needle loops of a normal stitch length while the elastic yarn drawn is under tension, and drawing sinker loops of a length yso that they will contain substantially twice as much elastic yarn as adjacent needle loops, and simultaneously drawing stitches of a non-elastic yarn to plate the needle loops of the elastic, yarn and to project to the back of the fabric as pile loops at sinker wales, whereby upon release of the fabric and contraction of the elastic yarn the elastic base ofthe fabric will not contract beyond a point at which it will remain reasonably porous or open, and said pile yarn will plate the fabric at its face and project as pile at the back.

V3. A method of knitting an all elastic base, pile fabric including the steps of drawing an elastic yarn under tension and forming the same into courses of knitted loops comprising both needle and sinker loops, anddrawing the needle loops of such a length that as they are drawn they contain enough stretched elastic yarn to make reasonably porous fabric but when released would contract to a point where the fabric could not be porous nor would the said loops retain the characteristics of normal knitted needle loops,

and drawing sinker loops of a length so that they will contain substantially twice as much elastic yarn as the said needle loops, and simultaneously drawing stitches of a non-elastic yarn to plate the needle loops of the elastic yarn and to project to the back of the fabric as pile loops at sinker wales, whereby upon release of the fabric and contraction of the elastic yarn, the fabric will not contract beyond a point in which it will be reasonably porous and will have the said nonelastic yarn loops plated at its face and the pile loops projecting in each course at the back thereof.

W'ILLIAM L. SMITH, JR. 

